Project Shadowcat: River Rescue
by Ami DragonHeart
Summary: Wally's stuck doing his homework until a distress call has him racing to save the day. Witty (Wally x Kitty) Set during the original fic just after chapter 12.


Do not own so do not sue,

Written for my wonderful Wally West.

Hands ran through messy red hair for what seemed to be the hundredth time in the past hour. A voice coughed pointedly before tapping the page with a pen. Wally glanced at Dick and sighed, he was supposed to be studying, but studying usually meant sitting beside Kitty and a plate of freshly baked goodies not sitting with Dick and a container of dried fruit and raw nuts. She'd only been gone a few hours, having left that morning, but already he was beginning to miss her.

It was a strange concept, but somehow Wally's life now seemed divided in two, 'since Kitty joined the team' and 'everything before that'. He remembered what it was like before, hanging out with Dick, being a member of the team, goofing off, but it was almost like watching an old movie. He could see the picture, he could remember what happened, but the quality was grainy and in some spots seemed to only play in black and white. Moments with Kitty though, those seemed to stand out in technicolour. Maybe it was her bubbly nature, or maybe it was just that she was the one friend he could share both school and hero life with, but he could recall every single detail in vivid definition. Kitty just seemed to know how to make things seem more fun, which brought him back to his homework.

Wally glanced at his watch once more, 11:30am. Kitty had left at eight that morning. He'd been sitting beside Dick, staring at the same stupid math problems for over three hours when a projected computer screen blinked to life in front of them. "Jet going down..." a voice called desperately through a broken and crackly line, the computer only seeming to relay a few words of each sentence, "...need help...sending co-ordinates..." The line went dead, but it was more then enough for Wally, Kitty was in trouble and she needed him. Programming the co-ordinates into his PDA he raced out of Headquarters. The others could follow in M'gann's ship, but he was faster and she needed him now.

Dick chuckled to himself, kicking his heels up on the table. "Aren't we following?" M'gann asked. If one of the team was in trouble they needed to mobilize and move fast. That just seemed to make Dick laugh even more. "There is no emergency," the raven-haired boy told the anxious heroes, "The distress call was a bogus call." The youngest Hero turned back to his books, Wally had been in such a hurry to leave, he hadn't bothered to change into his Hero suit. He'd only managed to grab his goggles on the way out.

Wally raced down the highway, passing cars in a blur as he ran for Kitty's last known location. He was running flat-out in a bid to reach her, completely ignoring his Uncle's training and any ideas about pacing himself' all that mattered was getting to Kitty and getting there fast. Reaching the general area he speed away from the road and into a national park, his speed shaking the leaves off the trees as he passed. Cresting the ridge, his feet took him speeding down the ridge towards the crash site only to find...no...crash?

The Quin-jet was on the edge of a clearing, the foliage hiding it from sight. "Kit-Kitty?" Wally's voice was quivering with relief when he saw the mutant girl standing in the clearing, smiling brightly at him. The speedster burred over to her side, crushing her in his arms. "Don't you ever pull something like that again," he muttered into her dark curls before pulling away, schooling his face into a stern glare, "What were you thinking? I thought you'd been attacked."

"I uh..." Kitty glanced down, pouting from his chastising, "I just wanted to surprise you. You've been working so hard lately and I..." Wally's eyes flicked past her to a picnic blanket spread out beside the lake laid out with all of his favourites. "You did all this, just for me?" the red-head asked, slowly wandering towards the small feast. The moment her head ducked into a small nod, he swept her into his arms. He couldn't stay mad with her, not when she'd gone to all this trouble to get him out of Headquarters for a picnic by the lake.

They shared the bounty of food by the lake, their feet dangling into the cool water as a gentle breeze stirred the air. The days had been hot and sticky and Wally had complained numerous times about wanting to have a day without Hero calls and without homework. He just wanted a few hours to swim and cool off, and Kitty had given him just that.

Wally chuckled, wrapping an arm around the small girl when she stole a strawberry from his plate, dropping a soft kiss to her curls. He couldn't think of anything more perfect then munching his way through two picnic baskets worth of food while sitting beside a crystal clear lake with Kitty. She'd even remembered to bake him an entire batch of cupcakes, which he was saving for the trip back home.

Brushing off the crumbs as she stood, Kitty tugged her sun dress over her head. Wally smiled to himself when he saw the white swimsuit beneath. He'd bought it for her to cover her scars so she could still join them when they went swimming at the beach. "Hey Kitty, I didn't bring-" His words were cut-off by a pair of board shorts hitting his face. The sneaky little minx had not only planned and cooked for this event, she'd even talked his Aunt and Uncle into packing his bathers too.

Snorting softly he charged, taking her by surprise as he knocked her off her feet. They rolled on the grass until Wally finally managed to pin her beneath him, using his own weight to keep her there while his fingers attacked her sides. Kitty giggles and squirmed, trying to get away from him but he simple gripped her wrists in one hand and kept tickling. He eventually stopped, staring down at her sapphire blue eyes as she gasped breathlessly beneath him. Her eyes held him spellbound, staring into their sparkling depths and pulling him ever closer as her own head tilted up towards him. The air was still, tingling with anticipation as his lips hovered mere moments away from hers when a bird's trilling sliced the air and broke their connection. "I should...go get changed," Wally muttered out, rolling off her and collecting his board shorts before disappearing into the Quin-jet to change.

Kitty lay there for a few moments, blinking away the image of his emerald eyes filled with an emotion she couldn't even begin to describe. It was like, when he looked at her, the world itself stopped turning, like life forgot to move on around them and the moment his gaze left hers, the world came crashing back down around her senses leaving her gasping for air. The sensations his look gave her were both exhilarating and terrifying, like she stood with her toes hanging over the edge of a cliff. Eventually she'd have to choose to jump or step back, if she jumped she was frightened the fall would break her, but if she stepped back she was scared she'd miss out on something precious and that knowledge would shatter her. Shaking her head to clear those thoughts away, she moved towards the lake just as Wally stepped out in his bathers.

Floating on the cool water, Kitty stared up at the clouds drifting overhead. The stillness of the lake soothing her busy mind into a dull hum. Somewhere in the back of her mind she could sense Wally expending his boundless energy by swimming laps, but even that dull awareness was slowly fading to the back of her mind. Remembering Logan's training she began to breathe in and out until she finally passed into a meditative state that hovered somewhere between consciousness and a deep relaxing sleep.

Wally's eyes flicked back to Kitty, there was still a magnetic pull he couldn't quite understand. Instead of facing those feelings, instead of trying to work out what they meant, he dove into the water and began to swim laps of the lake. When his mind became too cluttered, Wally took solace in his feet pounding the pavement. It probably sounded strange, him being a speedster and all, but he liked jogging or running at a normal pace. The rhythmic sound of his feet on the ground, the wind whipping about his face, he found it relaxing. To be able to focus on his breathing and nothing else helped him clear all the useless white noise out and focus on what mattered, the shifting of his muscles and the continual movement. He swam until he finally silenced all the impulses rushing through his brain and then he swam just for pleasure, but eventually he stilled, bobbing his head to the surface to find himself right beside Kitty.

Glancing at the floating brunette he stayed there watching the peaceful look on her face. Her features had softened and a small smile spread to her lips. It was a look few had rarely seen but Wally loved it. He loved waking up to see that childish innocence all over her face. Their line of work forced them to grow up before their time, ripping all notions of youth and frivolity from their clutching hands and forced them to face the cold, hard truths of the world, but in sleep all that fell away and dreams could trick them into believing once more. Wally would give anything to be the reason for that look on her face, to make her forget her inhibitions and let her true emotions shine through. The Speedster shook his head, his thoughts threatening to crowd his head again and make him need to swim laps once more. Instead, Wally decided on the only course of action that made sense. He splashed Kitty.

Kitty sputtered, her head dipping beneath the water as her body jerked. Surging back to the surface her gaze caught a bashful Wally just seconds before launching her own attack. They laughed and shrieked, water flying in all directions, sometimes their waves made contact but most flew straight past their intended victim. Kitty spun to send another volley of water at Wally only to find him gone. Turning around to find him, her legs were suddenly tugged out from under her. Coughing her way back to the surface, she grabbed the red-head and dunked him.

The brunette shifted to swim back to the shore when two strong arms wrapped around her, tugging her back to a strong chest. Kitty turned to face him as Wally crushed her against him, all words of protest dying on her lips as she sunk into his warm embrace. Green met blue and once again Wally found himself lost in her cerulean depths, his face moving ever closer to hers. Her hands pressed lightly against his shoulders, she was standing on that cliff but she couldn't bring herself to step back before the ground beneath her dropped away.

His lips touched hers ever so softly and just as suddenly, the whole world disappeared. Wally pulled back, noting the shock laced through her eyes, embarrassment staining his cheeks a red vibrant enough to almost match his hair. This time Kitty moved first, seeking out his tender kiss with a tentative one of her own. His arms tightened around her waist as he recovered, shifting the act into something deeper and more passionate.

Wally broke the kiss giving them a moment to breathe while he stared down at the mutant girl. He'd been so worried about losing those he cared about, he almost missed experiencing something tangible and real. He finally knew what the look his Aunt and Uncle shared was, they'd always told him he'd find someone who'd look at him like that, but after years of rejection he'd begun to lose hope. Seeing Kitty gazing up at him, emotions dancing in her bright eyes, he knew he'd found it. He wasn't going to let it go without a fight.

Kitty's hands brushed his cheeks before settling back down on his shoulders. She'd been so scared of falling, of not knowing what horrible fate waited for her at the bottom, but Wally had dived after her, catching her before she knew she'd fallen. She wasn't afraid of the unknown any more because Wally had a way of making the world seem just a little bit brighter. That she'd almost missed this, that she'd almost found herself not knowing what this feeling felt like, that terrified her. The thought of losing this, of losing Wally practically petrified her and she knew in her heart that she'd spend the rest of her life fighting to keep this, but one look at his bright green eyes and the adoration written all over his face and she knew it was more than worth it. He was worth it.

Hands threaded through her dark curls as Wally's lips sought hers in reckless abandon. Nothing else mattered in the world but them and this moment. Slender legs curled around his waist, delicate arms wound around his neck as their kisses became fevered and frantic. Water swirled around them as Wally's lips and tongue devoured hers.

"We should stop," Wally told her, his voice barely more than a whisper. Kitty just clutched him all the tighter, seeking his kiss and Wally couldn't find it in him to deny her. "I don't want to," Kitty whispered back, almost as if anything louder would break the spell and bring them crashing back to reality. Wally shook his head slightly, pressing his forehead to hers, letting her hair form a wet curtain to block out the rest of the world. "Nor do I," Wally admitted, gently rolling his hips against hers to prove his reason, "But I think it's best if we do." Giving him one last lingering kiss, Kitty slid to the ground, keeping his hand in hers as they walked back to the Quin-jet.

"Should we tell the others?" Kitty asked as the Quin-jet touched down inside Mount Justice, turning her uncertain gaze to Wally's. The red-head placed his hand gently over hers. "I think I want to keep you all to myself for now," Wally told her, his thumb caressing the soft skin of the back of her hand before noting the look in her eyes, "I want this, but I want us to have a chance to be us first." Kitty nodded, she wanted that too. She wanted the chance to discover who they were together before they started letting other people see it too. Giving him one last kiss, she walked out of the jet to greet their friends.

The rest of the night was spent keeping to their previous interaction, much to the chagrin of their team mates, before finally vacating the lounge for bed. "Are you serious?" Artemis bit out, watching Wally leave to work on homework with Kitty, "All that effort and they're still not a couple?" Dick eyed the pair silently as they left, walking just a little bit closer together, their hands brushing more often then usual. Something had happened, but he wouldn't mention anything until they were ready.

Wally slid under the covers beside Kitty, it had practically killed him not to be as affectionate with her as he'd wanted to, but they needed time to discover what they had. Kitty curled into his arms, her head finding its place on his chest, just above his heart. Just because they weren't openly displaying their new-found emotions didn't mean they couldn't test the waters alone. Rolling over, he trapped the brunette beneath him, paying her back for every missed touch or fleeting moment three times over, Kitty's gestures just as hungry and needy. So what if they weren't ready for the others to know, it just made moments like this all the more valuable.

May your thoughts and creativity flow,

Lady Ami DragonHeart


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